La Mexicana Restaurant

I went to this restaurant for the third time tonight and I was really unimpressed with the service — it was appallingly slow for no reason (there were more staff and less customers than I’ve seen in the past). Our group of 6 had a 7:30 reservation and we were all there by 7:40. We did not have a server come to take our order until 8… and even then, we had to ask for one! I gladly would have had a drink the second I sat down at 7:30 while we waited for the rest of the group to show up. We ordered our drinks and dinner, and the drinks took another 20 minutes.
The drinks were a whole other issue. Some of my friends ordered a pitcher of blended strawberry margarita. I ordered a classic margarita on the rocks (tequila, Triple Sec, lime juice). They brought the pitcher of strawberry margarita with 2 salt-​rimmed glasses although there were 3 of them sharing it. And they forgot my margarita. When they finally brought me mine, I thought the colour was off for what should be a real margarita… then I took a sip and it was warm, and also sweet (not how a real margarita should taste). All I could taste was bar mix… it was certainly NOT lime juice as it should be made with (and as the menu described it). The server insisted they used lime juice. I told her I would not be drinking it.
At the end of the meal (our food was fine), I asked to speak to the manager. 10 minutes later, she came over. I explained the issue with the slow service, and all I got were some excuses about training new staff and a thank you for bringing it to her attention. I explained the issue with my margarita (my friends didn’t care to bring up theirs) and she first started saying they do use lime juice. I told her a margarita should not be sweet when ordered like that, and then she finally admitted they use a limeade mix (EW. Definitely not how it should be made and not what the menu says).
We finally got our bill and they charged my friends the premium margarita pitcher price (made with Patron, Cointreau and «lime juice») for their frozen one (made with bar rail tequila) — $ 45 instead of $ 26. My friends would have paid that because they didn’t notice– so it’s a good thing that I did.
The usage of limeade mix in their margaritas makes me question the authenticity of the rest of their food, and makes me wonder what other shortcuts they are taking (perhaps using store-​bought salsa/​sauces instead of making their own). The location is so convenient to my house, but I won’t be returning. And judging by the lack of people in the restaurant on a Saturday night, I suspect they won’t be there much longer either.

Good Food with a great atmosphere with staff that really love their restaurant. I met the owner who is Fijan and lovely. The original La Mexicana is SO awesome, this place is an extension of that and I’m sure will get better and better as time goes on.
Bottom Line: LOCATION. The Sobey’s plaza has never had a good restaurant, and Thornhill as a whole has no mexican food!!! Thank goodness for this place, please eat there so they stay.

La Mexicana is yet another attempt to try and be an authentic Mexican Restaurant.
First thing I noticed was the small menu. Everything could fit on one page. Most Authentic Mexican Restaurants have pages upon pages of various combinations and selections. La Mexicana’s menu is limited to very few items.
No bottled hot sauce located at the table. They rely on their salsa as that is more of a hot sauce.
First the pros. They give you Chips with both a Red and Green Salsa! Great! However the salsa is so extra spicy, it is like spooning hot sauce on your chips. Both the red and green were more than super spicy. Must have kept in the seeds when the chilllies were blended.
The salsa is blended to a point where it is in the sme consisency as a typical hot sauce unlike the chunky tomato salsa you see in an authentic Mexican restaurant.
The chips are not homemade chips but that out of a bag. You can really tatse the difference with hommade chips. These at La Mexicana were very bland and flavorless. Positive reviews do go to the Complimentary Chips and Salsa as only a few restaurants use this approach. 100% of the Authentic Mexican Restaurants in the US provide complimentary Chips and Salsa throughout the course of teh dinner. La Mexicann has a $ 3 surcharge after the 1^st basket.
If you are looking to enjoy a Corona or a mixed drink, look someplace else. The restaurant opened early with no LLBO license and thus cannot serve alcohol or beer. Choose from ONLY Coke/​Pepsi drinks or the Virgin Sangria.
The food is ok however no where near authentic Mexican food. The rice is steamed with peas and carrots. Typical steam rice that you would get at a Chinese Restaurant.
THe beans were actually pretty good. 4 out of 5! They come in a bowl made out of a nacho. Cool presentation. Black Beens only. Most authentic Mexican restaurants use Pinto beans.
The main courses were acceptable however given the ambiance, lake of items on the menu and the lake of authentic Mexican food, my rating is TWO out of FIVE.
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Kind of ecstatic that there is a if not any Mexican restaurant up here in Thornhill and I couldn’t be happier. Place just opened up a couple days ago and I am a fan. Their chimichangas are delicious.
Edit: As of Nov 2013, this restaurant is now closed.